The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up

This past weekend I visited Houston to see two dear friends get married and to visit with a bunch of other wonderful people. I was also able to see The Alley Theatre's production of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan :The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.  Like most kids, I loved Peter Pan when I was growing up- suspense, adventure, flying (even though I was deathly afraid of heights it still seemed like a thrilling possibility), eternal youth, Wendy's crush on Peter, Tinkerbell's crush on Peter, my crush on Peter- I loved it all! I hadn't re-visited the story in quite some time, and I'd never see the J.M. Barrie version, so while a lot of the magic from my childhood was still there (and sword fights are always badass) I was mostly intrigued by the strict gender roles the play condones and encourages.

The play begins with Mr. and Mrs. Darling going out for a night out on the town. The children are preparing for bed and Mrs. Darling is having a difficult time saying good-bye to them, concerned that something will happen to her children if she's not there to protect them (even though they are under the capable watch of the family maid, Liza).  It is obvious that she is loved and respected in her role as mother and clear that she enjoys it. Mr. Darling seems like he's dying to get out of the house, but Mrs. Darling like she would just be content to stay in and be with the kids.

The kids go to sleep and the Darlings leave and we get our first glimpse of Peter Pan. He tries to get his shadow back on, but can't seem to figure out how to make it work and he starts crying. Wendy wakes from her slumber, "Boy, why are you crying?" Pan explains that he can't get his shadow back on. Wendy launches into mothering mode and grabs a needle and thread (I mean, Peter Pan can fly, so why should he know how to sew?) and fixes the problem in a matter of seconds.

Pan invites Wendy to Neverland to act as a sort of mother to all of the lost boys. Why are there only lost boys in Neverland and no lost girls? Apparently, as we're told by our narrator, girls are too "clever" to fall out of their prams and they are the kind who like to grow up.

Wendy and her younger brothers fly with Peter Pan to Neverland. Wendy has a rough trip- one of the lost boys shoots her right in the chest because Tinkerbell told the poor kid that Wendy was a bird and needed to be shot. Apparently, Tink is a heinous bitch that would rather see a little girl die than have someone steal her man-boy.( However,later in the play when Peter's life is in danger, Tink downs that poison without a second thought, because what would Tink be without her man...err...boy.)

Wendy recovers and the boys build her the house of her dreams (gotta provide for the little lady, ya know) and she begins to "mother" them, even though she is only a child herself. The boys love listening to Wendy tell stories and they clearly respect her, just as the Darling children respect their mother. Wendy is elevated to an almost goddess status, and while it's great that the guys respect her, there is such a clear separation between them and Wendy is not free to just be one of the kids.

Fast forward to much adventures (where all the boys get the badass sword fights, maybe next time Wendy) and Captain Hook meets his demise and  the Wendy and her brothers decide they must return home to their parents. Mrs. Darling has been mourning for her children, yet faithfully waiting for them to come home. Mr. Darling? Well, in his anguish he decided to switch places with the family dog and live, literally, in the dog house. (What silly bastards men can be!)

The kids return home, happy from their adventures but grateful to be with their family again. Wendy is worried about Peter being motherless, and Mrs. Darling reminds her daughter that she needs a mother and can't be worried about mothering someone else. However, Mrs. Darling agrees to let Wendy go visit Peter Pan for a week each year to do his "spring cleaning".

Peter Pan returns each year (except for the years when he forgets, you know how those man-boys can be) and whisks Wendy away to Neverland. Eventually, Wendy grows up (as the kind who like to grow up tend to do) and in her place she sends her daughter Jane...and then Jane grows up and sends her daughter and so on down the line. As the narrator cheekily tells us, the girl visits Peter Pan every year (except for the years that Peter forgets) to do his cleaning and tell Pan stories about himself, because those are his favorite stories. Ooooo goody! That sounds like a great vacation! I get to clean for a whole week and tell some self-absorbed guy stories about himself? Where do I sign up?

And what about Wendy's brothers and the other males who decide that they're going to become men and not stay boys forever? Well, in this production at least, they become soul-less, unhappy corporate mongers. No wonder they're unhappy...if they stayed in Neverland they could have escaped responsibility forever and had some little girl come every year to do their chores and pump up their egos.

As we were walking out of the theatre, my friend Russell said that he desperately wanted Wendy to go over to the window that Peter was hovering outside, lock it, and say "Grow up, Peter". Wendy ( and future generation Wendys) becomes an enabler, someone who not only allows but encourages Peter to shirk his responsibilities.

Are males really incapable of taking care of themselves? Certainly not. Are females really doormats who would love nothing more than to wait on someone hand and foot? Nope. Both roles can be fun to play every once in awhile, but Peter Pan: The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up paints such a polarized, strict picture of gender roles that it's not good for anybody. Especially the kids.

But, hey, on another note---have I mentioned that the sword fighting is badass?